Folding bracket-shelf.



No. 646,759. Pa tented Apr. 3, I900. w. A. PETRIE.

FOLDING BBAGKET SHELF.

(Application filed Nov. 2, 1899.) (No Model.)

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m: noams PETERS 00.. Pucmuma, WASHINGTON. n. c.

NITED "STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM A. PETRlE, OF PETOSKEY, MICHIGAN.

FOLDING BRACKET-SHELF.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 646,759, dated April 3, 1900. Application filed November '2, 1899. Serial No. 735,613. (No model.)

vToo/l5 whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. PETRIE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Petoskey, in the county of Emmet and State of Michigan, have invented a new and Improved Folding Bracket-Shelf, of which the followingis a full, clear,and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new andimproved foldingbracketshelf which is simple and durable in construction and arranged to permit of conveniently folding the shelf fiat against its support when not in use and allow of readily moving the shelf into a horizontal active position when desired and without requiring manual adjustment of the supporting-brace.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the views.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the improvement, and Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

The improved folding bracket-shelf consists, essentially, of a back frame A, a shelf B, and a brace O, and said back frame A is preferably made from a single piece of wire bent to form in its upper portion a loop A for conveniently supporting the back frame, and with it the shelf B, on a nail, hook, or other suitable support. The back frame A is formed at about its middle with bearings A in which is mounted to turn the pintle or pivot-pin B of the shelf B, and the lower portion of the back frame A is formed on its sides with vertically disposed guideways A in which is mounted to slide the lower brace C, pivoted at its upper end to the under side of the shelf B near the free end thereof, as is plainly indicated in'the drawings. When the shelf B is swung into a horizontal active position, as shown in the drawings, then the lower end of the brace O rests on the bottoms of the guideways A so that the shelf can be loaded as desired.

The pintle or pivot-pin B of the shelf B is formed beyond the bearings A into crankoffsets B pressed on by springs A ,each forming an extension for the upper end of one of the members of the corresponding guideway A ,as is plainly shown in the drawings. When the shelf .B is in a horizontal lowermost position,then the crank-offsets B extend upwardly and rearwardly and the springs press against the same, so as to hold the shelf B in a horizontal position and with the brace C seated at its lower end on the bottoms of the guideways A When the shelf B is swung upward approximately into a vertical position, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, then the crank-onsets B extend downward and rearward and are still pressed on by the springs A to hold the shelf B in this uppermost position, and when the shelf swings upward the lower end of the brace 0 slides upward in the guideways A so that the shelf, as well as the brace, is folded up fiat against the back frame A. The lower ends of the guideways A are preferably connected with each other by a cross-bar A formed at its middle with a loop A for engaging a nail, hook, or other support to assist in holding the back frame, and with it the shelf, in proper position.

From the foregoing it is evident that the operator can readily swing the shelf B into an uppermost folded position or into a lowermost open and supporting position without requiring adjustment of the brace O and Without requiring any means for holding the shelf in either an uppermost closed or lowermost/open supporting position.

The shelf B is preferably made of wire bent into skeleton form and having sheet metal fastened to the frame to form the body of the shelf, and said shelf is preferably ex tended at its sides beyond the sides of the back frame A.-

A folding bracket-shelf A constructed in the manner described can be conveniently moved about and readily placed in position wherever required, and if it is desired to form a long shelf two such folding bracket-shelves as described maybe secured to a wall a suitable distance apart and the shelves B then placed thereon and secured in place by a screw or other means.

Having thus fully described my invention,

said bearings, said pintle terminating in crank-offsets, a brace pivotally connected I 5 with said shelf at one end, and mounted to slide at its other end in said guideways, and springs on the back frame and pressing said crank-offsets, to hold the shelf in either an uppermost closed position or in a lowermost 20 extended position, as set forth.

- WILLIAM A. PETRIE.

Witnesses:

O. BARNUM, P. B. WACHTEL. 

